1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety stirrup for horse-riding. The stirrup is detachably connected to the corresponding stirrup-leather in order to ensure release of the rider's foot in the event of a fall. In fact, with stirrups of conventional type, the rider's foot is liable to be jammed in the corresponding stirrup, thus exposing the rider to the potential danger of a serious accident.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Different systems have already been proposed for releasing the feet of riders at the time of a fall. However, the systems which exist at the present time do not make it possible to solve this problem in a wholly satisfactory manner.
French Pat. No. 403 632 thus describes a stirrup having a head which is attached to the corresponding stirrup-leather by means of a support which is intended to permit release of the stirrup under certain circumstances. This support is designed in the form of a U-shaped arch, the legs of which are located in planes extending at right angles with respect to the general plane of the stirrup. Each leg of the arch is provided at the lower end with a projection engaged in a cavity formed on the corresponding side of a protuberance formed on the top portion of the head of the stirrup. It therefore appears reasonable to suppose that a fall experienced by the rider produces a rotational displacement of the protuberance of the stirrup head between the two legs of the arch-shaped support, thereby ensuring that the projections of this latter are withdrawn from the cavities of said protuberance. However, since the two legs of the arch-shaped support are located in planes which extend at right angles with respect to the general plane of the stirrup, a fall tends in actual practice to produce a rotational displacement of the stirrup support within the loop formed by the stirrup-leather or else to result in twisting of the stirrup-leather. In either case the result thereby achieved is that the stirrup head is not released from its support, since a releasing action necessarily calls for a rotation of the upper protuberance of the stirrup head between the two legs of its support.
British Pat. No. 753,418 describes a safety stirrup system in which the stirrup head is attached to the corresponding stirrup-leather by means of a coupling device comprising a resilient strip for maintaining the stirrup head applied against a retaining lug which is engaged in the eye of the head while permitting disengagement of the lug in the event of an abnormal pivotal force exerted on the stirrup. Here again, this is far from being a perfect solution, since the working play of the stirrup head on the retaining lug is substantial, and this play facilitates untimely disengagement of the stirrup with respect to its coupling device. Moreover, the system thus provided does not permit release of the stirrup under precise conditions of disengagement in respect of a predetermined twisting motion. A further drawback of this system lies in its inadequate strength and durability, since the resilient strip which has the function of holding the stirrup in position is subject to very rapid deterioration.